Being Difficult
by valeda
Summary: He was just being difficult when he didn't need to be. Lily didn't understand why Gajeel wouldn't just suck it up and tell her the truth. Gajeel and Levy shorts.
1. Frustrations

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters._

* * *

Pantherlily looked up from the recruitment schedule in front of him and regarded the angry scowl on Gajeel's face. They were going over the newest additions to the Enforcement squad - hopefully, he'd be able to get Gajeel to make some decision instead of just saying everyone sucked.

Gajeel was not always one of the most productive people on the planet.

"What's on your mind, Gajeel?" Lily scribbled on the papers, wondering if he should even bother making notes at this point, "You've been staring over at Levy's table for the last fifteen minutes."

They were sitting in the dinner hall, and as normal, there was a group around Levy's table. She was one of the most popular and well-liked members of the Magic Council. After Fairy Tail had disbanded, she hadn't even stepped a foot out of Fairy Hills before the Council snatched her up.

It didn't surprise Lily at all. Levy was one of the top magical minds of their era. She was a scholar and had a particular talent for secrets. Her Solid Script Art and ability to create seals was also highly sought after.

Gajeel had floundered around before the Magic Council hired him. They discovered that he had a particular talent for...well, arresting people that didn't want to be arrested. When they weren't a mission, they were also assigned to toughen up the advanced recruits.

"Shut up. 's not like that."

"It's not like what?"

"I just don't like that they're crowding her. She's gotta eat. They're just yappin' at her and not lettin' her relax."

There was a cheering laugh from Levy as she sipped her coffee. It didn't escape attention that most of the people around her were men.

Gajeel _growled_.

Lily sighed.

In the last six months, it was obvious that Gajeel was feeling a lot more for Levy than he wanted to let on. Lily understood his friend's reluctance to do anything - Gajeel had been pretty straight forward about his past history with Fairy Tail and what happened with Levy - but it was starting to get to the point that it was depressing.

It was a daily routine - they came to eat, Gajeel would get all angry because of Levy's fan club, and then he would get even more angry that she didn't have enough staff to help her. He would get angry if some guy looked at her the wrong way. He would then get even _more_ angry if it looked like she was remotely interested in someone else.

Although, Lily doubted that last part was really true and was more of just Gajeel's overactive mind.

"Uh-huh," Lily set the papers down, "Just ask her out, Gajeel. For gods sakes."

The Dragon Slayer had the most fascinating reaction that Lily had ever seen.

His entire face turn red - all the way to the tips if his ears.

"Fuckin' hell!" Gajeel slammed his fist on the table, "I'm gonna go work out."

He stomped out of the dinner hall.

Lily sighed, whoever was working out in the training hall was probably going to end up in the medical wing.

"Goodness, what's his problem?"

He smiled at Levy, who had a confused look on her face. She sipped her cup of tea, watching their guildmate storm out of the room.

The whole situation was stupid and ridiculous, in Lily's opinion. Gajeel was just getting mad when the reality was that he was just scared of telling Levy the truth. With a smirk on his face, he made a few more notes on the paperwork, "He has a couple of frustrations, so to speak."

"Oh dear," Levy looked concerned, "I hope it all works out okay."

Lily wished that Gajeel would stop being pigheaded. It was clear that Levy watched the man whenever he wasn't looking. It was true that she had a group that followed her all over the place - but she never treated them the same way she treated Gajeel.

There was always the whistful, but happy look in her eyes whenever she got to spend time with him.

"I think it'll all work out in the end."


	2. Reading

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters._

* * *

Gajeel was laying on her couch.

Reading a book.

Levy tried not to just stare at him, she knew it was rude, but she couldn't help it. Big, bad, slightly crazy Gajeel had taught himself to _read_.

When they first joined the Magic Council, he had started with picture books. It wasn't that he wasn't smart and didn't know things, but he had grown up as a feral child on the streets and had the same basic education all the other Dragon Slayers had. Back then, he could read enough to do guild jobs, but that was about it.

And even then, it was still mostly pictures.

At some point, in the time that he came to her study to hang out, he had moved to reading novels or whatever other books that were in the library. He read a whole range of things - books on animals, traveling, nature - anything he could get his hands on. Sometimes she would watch him pluck things off the shelf, make a face at it, and put it back like he thought it smelled funny.

She always chuckled.

While Levy had spent her time at the Council trying to improve her combat skills, it was ironic that Gajeel had spent his times trying to build up his own knowledge. Lily still did a lot of their paperwork, but Gajeel could do it on his own if he made an effort.

"What's up?"

"What are you reading?" she smiled, filing the paper aside for later, grabbing another reference request.

"Tying ship knots."

It was always a different topic - and he would always read it from cover to cover before moving onto a different one. Whatever he picked out, usually Levy would stash it in her desk so no one borrowed it. She didn't know why he just didn't check out the darn things.

"I got nuthin' to do until Lily comes back from his meetin'," Gajeel scowled, "Somethin' about causing too much damage or scaring people or some shit."

Levy laughed, "You didn't get a complaint again, did you?"

"Fuck all if I care."

People usually avoided her office while Gajeel was there. It was common knowledge that he would stop by there at least once a day, either when he had a break or if he and Lily were passing through. Levy wasn't going to lie, she liked it when he did because she liked spending time with him and it kept everyone else out.

It was hard to get work done when people keep stopping by to ask her about every little thing. She also suspected that a lot of it was just men coming to flirt with her.

She had too much to do to waste time with that.

Gajeel sat up and cursed, "Didn't they get you some people, yet?"

"Admin said that it would be another three months before they could get us some interns, and defense and enforcement will probably get them first. You guys go through office help like nobody's business," she sat back at flexed her shoulders, "I think I have another week of late nights."

"What all that for?" Gajeel motioned towards the boxes of paperwork beside her desk.

"Magic Council business, research on Zeref, a bunch of requests from admin-"

" _That shit is from admin?_ "

Levy blinked at his sudden shock. She watched as he marked his page, dropped the book on her desk, and then stomped out of her office.

He slammed the door behind him.

She puffed out her cheeks and turned back to work - even though she knew a lot about him, his moods were so unpredictable. One moment he was mellow and quiet, and the next he was yelling and pissed off about every little thing.

Whatever bee was in his bonnet that time, she had no clue.

It was the next day when Doranbolt contacted her personally and apologized for all the mess.

"I'm sorry, Levy. I didn't realize they were sending you all the work from the Admin office," he sounded legitimately angry, "They were shoving all their work on you when it was their job to do it."

"It's okay, Mest. It's not a big deal."

"Well, it's definitely a big deal when Gajeel Redfox threatens to kick all their asses and all manner of things if they don't stop."

"He _what?_ "

There was a long silence on the phone, like Doranbolt had said something he shouldn't have. "He came over yesterday after he found out they were sending you all of the work and not just the critical requests."

Levy sat at her desk, and glanced from the lacrima communication orb to the book on tying ship knots.

 _Gajeel had been angry on her behalf._

"The office is re-evaluating the staffing situation. We will have some interns sent to your department on the next rotation," Doranbolt grumbled, "Hopefully, this won't happen again. Damage control from having an angry Dragon Slayer in our ranks is...unpleasant. If he wasn't one of the best wizards we had they would have tossed him out or thrown him in jail. I'm not sure which at this point."

Levy smiled.

It was the next day when he was laying on the couch, reading a book about mushrooms, that Levy turned to him.

"Thanks, Gajeel, for what you did. I really appreciate it."

The book was in front of his face so she couldn't see his expression, but the tops of his ears were oddly pink.

"Don' mention it, shrimp."


End file.
